Back then, he’d brought Zhao Chenyang to the city with selfish motives.  

As a low-ranking official, Zhao Qingyun needed powerful allies. He befriended Xu Juncai, another ambitious deputy director, who relied on his father-in-law’s connections.  

When Zhao Qingyun’s wife, Wei Meihua, gave birth to their son Zhao Chengzu, Xu Juncai and his wife, Zhou Jingrong, visited. Zhou, unable to have children, wanted to adopt a pretty ten-year-old girl to raise as their own—someone to care for them in old age and inherit the family business.  

Remembering his forgotten daughter in Zhaojiagou, Zhao Qingyun saw an opportunity. He fetched Zhao Chenyang, and after just three days, handed her to Zhou Jingrong. Only when Xu Juncai brought home his son from a previous marriage did Zhao Chenyang return to Zhao Qingyun. Though he provided for her, he never truly cared.  

Seeing her daughter cry, Qian Shufen snapped out of her daze. She hugged Zhao Chenyang tightly. “My poor girl, you’ve suffered so much out there. I told you the city wasn’t paradise, but you wouldn’t listen! My heart aches for you.”  

Her tender care for Zhao Chenyang contrasted sharply with how she’d treated Zhao Xiangwan. Fan Qiuhan rolled his eyes. “How hypocritical! She coddles her own daughter but tormented Zhao Xiangwan!”  

Zhao Dacui and the other villagers couldn’t hold back their curses.  

“You still dare to cry? Even if you suffer, it’s your own fault. How disgusting!”  

“If no one had found out, you wouldn’t have shed a single tear. Why didn’t you cry when you sent your own daughter to the city for a better life? Why didn’t you cry when you abused Zhao Xiangwan? Disgusting!”  

“This is a disgrace to Zhaojiagou. I’ve never seen such a heartless person.”  

“Swapping babies and abusing children—both are crimes! People like this don’t deserve to stay in Zhaojiagou. Kick them out—”  

Amid the angry shouts, Village Committee Director Zhao Changxing raised his hand to calm the crowd.  

Once everyone quieted down, Zhao Changxing turned to Zhao Xiangwan and asked, “Xiangwan, your adoptive parents have admitted their mistakes and apologized. What do you want? Are you willing to accept their apology?”  

What did she want? Zhao Xiangwan had thought about this countless times.  

She wanted to ask why they treated her so cruelly.  

She wanted everyone to know their shameful actions and despise them.  

She wanted everything to go back to normal—her real parents to know the truth and Chen Yang to be sent away.  

—She wanted to feel her parents’ true love.  

Now, the truth was out.  

Qian Shufen and Zhao Erfu had apologized to her face.  

Her aunt, cousins, brother, and the villagers—everyone was condemning them.  

Zhao Qingyun had sent Zhao Chenyang back to the countryside, just as she’d asked.  

Everything had gone her way.  

Except for one thing—her parents’ love.  

But that no longer mattered. Her eldest brother, second brother, aunt, and Fan Qiuhan had all stood by her, giving her warmth as she grew up.  

Zhao Xiangwan stood straight in the cold wind, like a young pine tree—thin but unyielding.  

Zhao Qingyun felt a pang of guilt. He knew he’d only brought Zhao Xiangwan back because she was useful, not out of love. Compared to the villagers’ sincerity, what he’d given his daughter was far from enough.  

He sighed and reached out to comfort her, but Zhao Xiangwan stepped back, avoiding his touch.  

“Xiangwan,” Zhao Qingyun said gently, “you’ve suffered. If I’d known how much you endured in the countryside, I would’ve comforted you and made it up to you.”  

Zhao Xiangwan remained unmoved, shrugging off his words.  

Zhao Qingyun was frustrated. Why wasn’t she satisfied? He’d sent Zhao Chenyang away and revealed the truth—what more did she want?  

His daughter was sharp and refused to tolerate hypocrisy. He admired that but also found it frustrating.  

Seeing Zhao Qingyun’s gentleness, Zhao Chenyang burst into tears. “Dad, I didn’t mean to lie. I… I just envied Zhao Xiangwan for having a father like you, for living in the city with you.”  

Zhao Qingyun sighed and turned to Zhao Xiangwan. “Xiangwan, the truth is out now. Since they’ve apologized, let’s leave the past behind. Come back with me, and Chenyang will stay here.”  

[First, show kindness to make Zhao Xiangwan feel better. After all, Zhao Chenyang can return to Xing City when school starts—I can still use her then. Right now, her family doesn’t want her, and Zhaojiagou isn’t a place she can stay forever. If I show her a little kindness, she’ll be grateful. Maybe I can still get Xu’s Construction Company through her.]  

Hearing Zhao Qingyun’s inner thoughts, Zhao Xiangwan felt nothing but disappointment. She refused coldly, “No. I grew up in Zhaojiagou. This is my home.”  

Zhao Qingyun was stunned. He’d done everything she asked, yet she still rejected him. His face flushed with humiliation.  

Zhao Changxing nodded, then announced after discussing with the village committee and elders:  

“Fellow villagers, listen to me.”  

The crowd quieted down.  

“Xiangwan has a good heart and remembers Zhaojiagou’s kindness. Since she still considers this her home, I’ll make a fair decision today—”  

He turned to Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen.  

“Zhao Erfu, Qian Shufen, you raised Zhao Xiangwan for eighteen years. You mistreated her, but you never starved her. You tried to stop her from studying, yet you still let her go to college. If not for the baby swap eight years ago, Zhao Xiangwan would’ve had to support you in your old age, even if she wasn’t your biological child.  

But you hid the truth, sent Chen Yang to the city, and separated her from her real parents. Your good and bad deeds cancel out. When she gets married, she won’t give you a dowry. When you’re old, no matter how successful she is, she won’t have to support you. Do you agree?”  

Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen stayed silent.  

Why do rural families prefer sons? Because daughters leave after marriage, becoming part of another family. They can’t work for their birth family or support their parents. That’s why, in Zhaojiagou, brides demand gifts, and daughters visit their parents during festivals, bringing clothes, shoes, and other necessities.  

But now, after raising Zhao Xiangwan, they’d get nothing. They felt cheated—all that effort, wasted.  

Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu replied together, “Alright, we’ll follow your decision, Uncle Changxing. We brothers will take care of our parents in their old age and won’t trouble our third sister anymore.”  

Zhao Changxing nodded. “Good, since you both agree, this first matter is settled. Now, the second point—”  

Qian Shufen suddenly lifted her head. Giving away a daughter for nothing was bad enough—there was more?  

“Second, Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen secretly swapped the children, separating Zhao Xiangwan from her real parents and letting Zhao Chenyang live a privileged city life instead. This kind of deceit has never happened in Zhaojiagou before, and they must be punished!”  

Zhao Erfu sighed and lowered his head. Since the villagers were siding with Zhao Xiangwan, he knew he couldn’t avoid punishment.  

Feeling the weight of responsibility, Zhao Bowen stood up and said firmly, “Uncle Changxing, just tell us the punishment. We’ll accept it.”  

Zhao Changxing declared, “Even though Xiangwan’s household registration was moved to Xing City after she got into university, since she still considers Zhaojiagou her home, we—the elders and villagers—won’t let her down. So, the village will provide bricks and land, while your family must pay for labor and materials to build a new house for Xiangwan next to the old one. It must have red-brick walls, green-tiled roofing, and tiled floors. This house will be hers to stay in whenever she comes back during holidays!”  

Zhao Erfu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Ch-Changxing, you can’t be serious?”  

Building a new house—just for a daughter? And one whose household registration wasn’t even in the village anymore? That was unheard of!  

Zhao Changxing glared. “You! You did wrong, and now the village has to help clean up your mess. If not for the fact that you’re a longtime resident and raised two decent sons, I wouldn’t even bother. Xiangwan suffered because of you. If you don’t make it right, do you want her to resent everyone and sue you?”  

Zhao Dacui, excited, wiped her tears. “Good, good! This is a wonderful idea. Now Xiangwan will have her own place to stay when she visits, without having to endure anyone’s mistreatment.”  

Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu exchanged glances and nodded. “We’ll contribute the money and effort to build Third Sister a new house!”  

No one in the village objected. Though unprecedented, everyone had watched Zhao Xiangwan grow up. She was supposed to be an official’s daughter but suffered under Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen’s treatment. Building her a house was the least they could do.  

Zhao Changxing, who ran a successful brick factory and helped villagers prosper, had great influence. How could Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen refuse? Reluctantly, they muttered, “Fine…”  

Qian Shufen’s heart ached. A new brick-and-tile house would cost at least a thousand yuan—money she’d saved for her sons’ weddings. Now, it was being spent on a daughter? Unthinkable!  

Zhao Erfu flushed with shame. Building a house for a daughter? His ancestors would be ashamed of him. But what choice did he have?  

“Third,” Zhao Changxing continued, making even Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu tense. There was more?  

“Although Zhao Chenyang is your biological daughter, her household registration isn’t here. If she visits, she’ll be a guest. Zhaojiagou won’t allocate her any land before marriage.”  

Village farmland was distributed per family under the contract responsibility system ^[1]a rural economic reform in China where land is leased to households for farming.. Zhao Changxing added this to prevent Qian Shufen from making demands later.  

Zhao Chenyang scoffed. “Who cares about some farmland?” The countryside had nothing she wanted.  

Zhao Changxing gave her a stern look. “As the beneficiary of the child swap, Zhao Chenyang must sincerely apologize to Zhao Xiangwan and compensate her. The amount will be decided by Xiangwan.”  

Zhao Chenyang rolled her eyes. “Apologize? Compensation? What a joke!”  

Seeing her defiance, Zhao Changxing warned, “If you refuse, the village committee will send a formal complaint to your school and let your teachers handle it.”  

Hearing this, Zhao Qingyun studied Zhao Changxing with newfound respect. This village leader was sharp—friendly earlier but now firm and strategic, even threatening Zhao Chenyang’s reputation.  

Zhao Chenyang glanced at Zhao Qingyun, but getting no support, she mumbled, “Fine, I’ll apologize and pay.”  

Reluctantly, she faced Zhao Xiangwan, her voice barely audible. “Zhao Xiangwan, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’ll compensate you, okay?”  

[I took everything from Zhao Xiangwan—the best schools, the best education—so why am I still inferior to her? These people are all just sucking up to her because she got into the Public Security University. Hmph! Once I’m rich, I’ll make them regret this!]  

Zhao Xiangwan, tall and imposing in her plain blue cotton jacket, stood solemnly under the winter sun. Her amber eyes gleamed, making Zhao Chenyang drop her gaze.  

For eight years, Zhao Xiangwan had dreamed of exposing Zhao Chenyang’s deceit and making her pay. Even if she couldn’t reclaim her stolen childhood, she would demand justice.  

Her birth parents had failed her, but today, in Zhaojiagou, people with no blood ties gave her what she deserved.